The Northern Amateur Football League, also known as the Northern Amateur League and often simply as the Amateur League, is an association football league in Northern Ireland. It contains 13 divisions. These comprise four intermediate sections: the Premier Division, Division 1A, Division 1B and Division 1C; three junior sections: Division 2A, Division 2B and Division 2C; and six reserve sections.

Clubs in membership (2025-26) Intermediate

Premier Division Abbey Villa Ards Rangers Comber Recreation Crumlin Star Derriaghy Cricket Club Drumaness Mills Dromara Village Dunmurry Young Men East Belfast Lisburn Rangers Holywood Immaculata Islandmagee Rosario YouthDivision 1A 1st Bangor Old Boys Albert Foundry Aquinas Crumlin United Finaghy Greenisland Larne Technical Old Boys Shankill United Dunmurry Recreation Sirocco Works St Oliver Plunkett Mossley Kilmore Recreation WillowbankDivision 1B Bryansburn Rangers Ballynahinch Olympic Colin Valley Downshire Young Men Dundonald Shamrock Newcastle Town 18th Newtownabbey Old Boys Rosemount Rec St Luke's St Marys St Matthews Killyleagh Youth WoodvaleDivision 1C Bangor Amateurs Ballynahinch United Ballywalter Recreation Bangor Swifts Bloomfield Grove United Orangefield Old Boys Portavogie Rangers Portaferry Rovers Malachians Saintfield United Shorts Suffolk TullycarnetDivision 2A

22nd Old Boys Bangor Swifts Bangor Y.M. Barn United Beann Mhádagháin FC Belfast Celtic YM Donaghadee F.C. Ford F.C. Kelvin Old Boys Queens Grads. St Mary's St Teresas Y.C. Taughmonagh YM FCDivision 2B

4th Newtownabbey F.C. Carryduff Colts Celtic Bhoys Clonduff FC Lower Shankill FC NI Civil Service F.C. Newhill FC Newtownbreda F.C. Queens University 11's Ravenhill YM FC St Patricks Y.M. F.C. Tullymore Swifts Ulster UniversityDivision 2C

Antrim Rovers Ballysillan Swifts Belvoir FC Clonard FC Cregagh Wanderers FC Cumann Spóirt an Phobail Greenwell Star FC Groomsport Kircubbin F.C. Rooftop Réalta naCromóige Sandy Row St Malachys OB Youth FC Whitehead EaglesDivision 3 - reserve teams

Format

The league season lasts from August to May with each club playing the others twice, once at their home ground and once at that of their opponents. Teams receive three points for a win and one point for a draw. No points are awarded for a loss. Teams are ranked by total points, then goal difference, and then goals scored. At the end of each season, the team that finishes in first place in the Premier division is crowned league champions.

Premier Division There are 14 clubs in the Premier Division, each playing a total of 26 games. The two lowest-placed teams are relegated to Division 1A. The league champions can be promoted to the NIFL Premier Intermediate League, providing they meet the admittance requirements.

Division 1A There are 14 clubs. The two highest-placed teams are promoted into the Premier Division whilst the two lowest-placed teams are relegated to Division 1B.

Division 1B There are 14 clubs. The two highest-placed teams are promoted to Division 1A and the two lowest-placed teams are relegated to Division 1C.

Division 1C This division was added to the Amateur League for the 2009/10 season. It now consists of 14 teams who will each play a total of 26 matches. The two top-placed teams at the end of the season will be promoted to Division 1B.

Second Division There are three sections within the Second Division, which has junior status: Division 2A, Division 2B and Division 2C. The top team in Division 2A at the end of the season can be promoted into the Intermediate section as long as their grounds meet intermediate standards.

Third Division The Third Division is for reserve sides of teams in the first and second divisions. It has six sections: 3A to 3F. The exception is Queens University Belfast A.F.C, as their first time compete in the NIFL Premier Intermediate League. they are therefore eligible to field a reserves team above the Third Division.

History The League was founded 4 July 1923 at a meeting of fourteen clubs at the Clarence Place Hall, Donegall Square East, Belfast, initially as a league for teams from public bodies, private associations, schools and firms. It was affiliated to the Irish Football Association (IFA) as a junior league in August. The first season was 1923/24 and by the time the first fixtures were played on 22 September, there were 16 member clubs. The Co-operative and C.P.A. were tied at the top of the table, but the Co-operative won a play-off to be crowned the first Amateur League champions.

A knock-out competition – the Clarence Cup – was also inaugurated in the first season, and the first winners were C.P.A., who beat the Co-operative 2–1 in a replay after a 0–0 draw.

The League's first representative game was played on 26 January 1924 against the Minor League at the Oval, and was a 6–1 win for the Amateur League. In 1932, the League played its first representative match outside Northern Ireland: a 3–3 draw against the Scottish Juvenile FA at Celtic Park, Glasgow. This became an annual fixture, which lasted until 1939, only to be halted by the Second World War. Subsequently, annual fixtures have resumed, first with the Scottish Amateur League and, since 1978–1979 with the Scottish Amateur F.A., competing for the Britton Rosebowl.

During the next few years, the League gained intermediate status, and a junior-status second division was added in 1926. By 1930, there were 30 clubs in membership. In 1932–1933, the League's strength was demonstrated when Dunville's became the first Amateur League team to win the Irish Intermediate Cup, and in 1938–1939 when Sirocco Works won the Steel & Sons Cup.

In the 1936–1937 season, a new competition was introduced: the Border Regiment Cup (commonly the Border Cup), which was to become the perhaps League's most prestigious trophy as it established a traditional Christmas final. The cup was presented to the league by the team of the Border Regiment, stationed at Palace Barracks, which had been a member of the League since 1933, and which was nearing the end of its tour of duty. The first winners were Sirocco Works, who beat Whitehouse Recreation Club 4–0 in the final.

After the Second World War, the league expanded its membership and the second division was split into two – Division 2A and Division 2B – in 1947. Division 2C was added in 1950. In 1961, Division 2A was elevated to intermediate status as Division 1B, with the top division renamed as Division 1A. Divisions 2B and 2C consequently became 2A and 2B respectively. The next year, 1962, the league expanded again and a new Division 2C was added, making a total of five divisions.

In 1963, it was decided that the Border Cup should be confined to teams in the First Division, and a new knock-out competition – the Cochrane Corry Cup – was instituted for the Second Division teams. The Clarence Cup is contested by teams of both divisions.

From the 1970–1971 season, automatic promotion and relegation within each division was introduced, and in the following season a new Third Division was added for the reserve teams of member clubs. In 1971 Division 2C was abolished, but re-established again in 1975. In 1973 a second reserve section was formed and the Third Division was thus divided into Division 3A and Division 3B. Division 3C was added in 1980, Division 3D in 1986 and Division 3E in 1991. There is now a Division 3F.

The League had been growing, particularly since the 1960s, and the milestone of 100 teams in membership was achieved in 1981. (By 1997–1998, there were 144 teams in membership.) In 1985, the League secured a sponsorship deal with Smithwick's.

In 1986, the intermediate First Division was expanded into three sections with the addition of Division 1C. From 1991, the intermediate sections were renamed as the Premier Division, Division 1A and Division 1B. Minimum standards were set for clubs' grounds as a condition of membership of the Premier Division, with promotion only available to those clubs whose facilities measured up.

List of champions

1923–24 Co-operative 1924–25 North Cricket Club 1925–26 North Cricket Club 1926–27 Sirocco Works 1927–28 Shaftesbury 1928–29 Shaftesbury 1929–30 Holm Factory 1930–31 Dunville's 1931–32 Dunville's 1932–33 Dunville's 1933–34 Dunville's 1934–35 Sirocco Works 1935–36 Sirocco Works 1936–37 Sirocco Works 1937–38 Sirocco Works 1938–39 Sirocco Works 1939–40 Sirocco Works 1940–41 Victoria Works 1941–42 Victoria Works United 1942–43 Victoria Works United 1943–44 Shankill Young Men 1944–45 Shankill Young Men 1945–46 Shankill Young Men 1946–47 Queen's Island Woodworkers 1947–48 Sirocco Works 1948–49 Carrick Rangers 1949–50 East Belfast 1950–51 Musgrave 1951–52 Carrick Rangers 1952–53 East Belfast 1953–54 East Belfast 1954–55 East Belfast 1955–56 East Belfast 1956–57 Short Brothers & Harland 1957–58 Short Brothers & Harland 1958–59 Short Brothers & Harland 1959–60 Short Brothers & Harland 1960–61 Albert Foundry [I]The original Albert Foundry club folded in 1978. 1961–62 Chimney Corner 1962–63 East Belfast 1963–64 East Belfast 1964–65 St Elizabeth's 1965–66 East Belfast 1966–67 Albert Foundry [I] 1967–68 Islandmagee 1968–69 Chimney Corner 1969–70 Chimney Corner 1970–71 Royal Ulster Constabulary 1971–72 International Computers Limited 1972–73 Royal Ulster Constabulary 1973–74 Chimney Corner 1974–75 Chimney Corner 1975–76 Barn United 1976–77 Downpatrick Rec. 1977–78 Downpatrick Rec. 1978–79 Harland & Wolff Welders 1979–80 Dunmurry Rec 1980–81 Downpatrick Rec. 1981–82 Drumaness Mills 1982–83 Standard Telephones & Cables 1983–84 Drumaness Mills 1984–85 Killyleagh Youth 1985–86 Cromac Albion 1986–87 Cromac Albion 1987–88 Dunmurry Rec 1988–89 Drumaness Mills 1989–90 Short Brothers 1990–91 Harland & Wolff Sports 1991–92 Dunmurry Rec 1992–93 Killyleagh Youth 1993–94 East Belfast 1994–95 Crumlin United 1995–96 Northern Telecom 1996–97 Northern Telecom 1997–98 Ards Rangers 1998–99 Dunmurry Rec 1999–00 Killyleagh Youth 2000–01 Killyleagh Youth 2001–02 Killyleagh Youth 2002–03 Killyleagh Youth 2003–04 Killyleagh Youth 2004–05 Killyleagh Youth 2005–06 Newington Youth 2006–07 Albert Foundry [II]The current Albert Foundry club was founded in 1981. 2007–08 Downpatrick 2008–09 Newington Youth 2009–10 Newington Youth 2010–11 Newington Youth 2011–12 Ards Rangers 2012–13 Newington Youth 2013–14 Drumaness Mills 2014–15 Ards Rangers 2015–16 Immaculata 2016–17 Crumlin Star 2017–18 Crumlin Star 2018–19 Crumlin Star 2019–20 Withheld due to Covid 2020–21 Withheld due to Covid 2021–22 Rathfriland Rangers 2022–23 Rathfriland Rangers 2023–24 East Belfast 2024–25 Comber Rec

Performance by club